My thoughts on the Anti-Vax movement

I know that I'll probably get some hate for writing this, I know that this is controversial but I must write about this. I must write my feelings about this. 

Here's my stance: the major vaccines, the ones who've been around for years, should be mandatory to all who can take it. The newer things, I don't think should be mandatory. At all. 

The one thing I'm very angry about is when people spread lies about how they THEY think that vaccines cause autism. That really irks me, it angers me because it is simply not true. It implies that we are a disease and we aren't. We are human. Get over the fact we are different. Things can be difficult yes, but we are not a disease we are human. We should be treated as such! And when you say that vaccines cause autism, you are anti-autistic. You are a danger to us and our wellbeing. You are the problem. Can you just accept us? That's all we want. 

So if you use autism as an excuse to not vaccinate your child, to make them vulnerable to deadly plagues and diseases, you are anti-autistic, and I do not stand for that as I am a human as well. 

I'm sorry for being so blunt but I hope you can see why I'm so angry right? 

I know I'll probably lose followers for saying these things but I can't hold it back anymore. 

How My Faith Has Helped Me Through

I don't usually write about my faith as I don't like when people attack me, because I have been attacked for it. 

I am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). My faith has helped me through, it's helped me through my trial and tribulations. It has helped me through the dark times of my life. 

I say it's helped me, let me explain. Jesus Christ, God and my church have truly been helping me. Jesus Christ and God have given me strength to succeed and keep going. They've helped me through the worse parts of my life and I wouldn't be alive today without seeing the light. They've given me hope and support when I had no one. My church. Its people. They've helped me with things like bills, food, and friendship when I needed it the most. I met my wonderful boyfriend through church. He's never left my side and knows how sick I am. He supports me through thick and thin. 

I know many people have gone through bad things when attending a church, but for me I have been lucky. As usual, with any place you are a part of there'll be drama. Especially if it's among young adults. But the drama outweighs the good and positive I've seen. I've been accepted by many in my ward, I've been helped and blessed and I feel so horrible that some people can't attend even another or my own Christian church because of their experiences. I pray and wish there'll be change and the hate will leave all people's hearts. 

I know many have bad ideas about my faith, but as a queer, genderqueer female, disabled, Arab young woman I have met nothing but acceptance from the members. I know that not everywhere is like this. I know I'm fairly lucky. I do not agree with everything that my church says, but I hold tight to my faith. I will always. 

With this said, I will like to end saying that I know my faith helps me and Jesus Christ and God is what has helped me through. I am a proud member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will forever be. 

All I Want to Hear

What I want to hear as an Autoimmune Disease patient, is very simple. I don’t want to hear “You’re so brave!” or “You’re my hero!”. Although these things are great and positive, it feels very demeaning to me when I am not feeling brave or strong. I love that people want to compliment me, I love that they make an attempt at showing that they care but I don’t want to hear that every time or all the time.

What I want to hear most is not that I am brave or strong, but that it’s ok not to be. I want someone to hug me and say “It is OK to not be strong all the time, to not be brave 24/7. It’s OK to yell and scream and have a fit, just don’t stay in that frame of mind all the time. You aren’t being negative when you aren’t brave or strong all the time.”

I want to express my fears without being told “Just stay positive”. I want to be told that my fears are rational and that I can still be real without being negative. I want people, society even to stop this conception that if you are fighting something deadly that you are brave and strong all the time when all you are doing is living, you are doing what everyone else is doing. I want people to listen when I say that I am being realistic instead immediately judging that I am being negative.

I want to be real without someone judging.

How Luna Lovegood Helped Me Accept Myself

 

 "You're just as sane as I am."

Luna Lovegood (JK Rowling)

 In my childhood, there were a few characters from books that helped me not only find myself but accept myself for who I am. One of them was Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling.

 As a child who was often the outcast and the target of many bullies, I identified with Luna. I loved that she accepted who she was and that, no matter what the bullies would do or say she'd keep her chin up and use it to teach others or as a learning experience for herself.

 She didn't care what anyone thought about her, she wouldn't change herself one bit just because others wanted her to. I was much like her, I had and still have my weird quirks. I was viewed as the weird child in school throughout my life and Luna embodied what I wanted so desperately to be. I felt like she was my best friend (I knew she was only a fictional character) but I felt like I understood her so much that I knew her personally. I would read and read and tell myself that one day I would accept who I am and become like Luna. 

 Well one day, the Seventh and final book of the series came out. As I read it I watched as Luna became stronger and a warrior in the battle. It helped me to realize that, I too, could be that warrior. I could accept myself and stop trying to run from who I am. So I started to be myself around other people, (I really do have the same personality as her, just more bubbly). I did lose some friends, but in the end I knew who was true to me. I decided that no one would EVER convince me to change who I was.

 I have Luna to thank for this. I don't think that if I hadn't read about her or watched her story grow, that I would be myself today. I think I probably would've allowed myself to change into what they wanted. She is such a unique character. I don't think I have ever read one that is much like this where she doesn't allow anyone to change her. She is weird, but in a good way. She knows it and OWNS IT! And that is one thing that I love about this character, not only does she accept it, she owns it! She owns who she is and she doesn't care who thinks she's weird or strange, she owns it all!

 

 

 Instead of allowing other people to dictate what she says and does, she just ignores it and goes about her life. In the end, she became someone who many could look up to as a character. I don't think that I was the only one who's life was changed by her. 

She is the embodiment of what who we should be. Girls are so often told that they must be a certain way, must act, do, look, be a certain person. She tells those like that to screw off. She is what every girl should be like: "I don't give a rat's butt what you say I should be, I am going to be who I am and do what I love and you can't change that. You will never change that." 

I see so many girls who look up to Hermione, but Luna is the one that many don't. I don't know why as Luna teaches girls to be themselves in a world that tells them differently. Don't get me wrong! I love Hermione, in fact she is one of the other characters that is on my list (and will do a post about at some time!) but I feel that Luna embodies what all of us Females should be like. Hermione is another but we aren't on the subject of her at the moment. 

I will end this post with this: You are just as sane as I am. Do not ever let anyone dictate who you are to be just because you think outside of the box. Love yourself and the world will send you your true friends. 

xoxo

Ari the Ant

****All pictures were found using google search engine, I do not own them.

Having a Rough Time? Here's Some Positive Affirmations to Help Out!

Most of us know what an affirmation is but in case you don't here is the definition:

af·firm·a·tion

ˌafərˈmāSH(ə)n/

noun

plural noun: affirmations

1. 1.

   the action or process of affirming something or being affirmed.

   "he nodded in affirmation"

   synonyms:

   declaration, statement, assertion, proclamation, pronouncement, attestation; More oath, avowal, guarantee, pledge; deposition; formalaverment, asseveration "an affirmation of faith" confirmation, ratification, endorsement "the poem ends with an affirmation of pastoral values"

   antonyms:

   denial

   • Law

     a formal declaration by a person who declines to take an oath for reasons of conscience.
2. 2.

   emotional support or encouragement.

   "the lack of one or both parents' affirmation leaves some children emotionally crippled"

    

   In this case, I will be talking about positive affirmations-- the second definition shown above. 

    

   We all go through rough times in our life, where it feels like we just can't see the life. We begin to tell ourselves things that are negative. Eventually, these things begin to make things worse. What we tell ourselves can have a big impact on our view of the world, on our perception. Our perception makes up the world we live in.

    

   "Reality is irrelevant; perception is everything." -Terry Goodkind

    

   When we begin to tell ourselves negative things, eventually they turn our views of the world dark. So, there's a coping mechanism I learned a while back that has helped me tremendously and I thought I'd share it with you. 

    

   AFFIRMATIONS! That's right! They've helped me so much! There's so much you can do with positive quotes but first, I want to share a few that have helped me through the toughest times-- that way you have something to start out with. 

    

   
   

   • That which does not kill you, makes you stronger in the end.
      

   • This too, shall pass. 

    

   • It may be raining now, but the sun can't hide forever!
      

   • Happiness can only be created by ourselves, by living the life that we desire. Don't ruin that happiness by doing what others want you to do, go out and make your life the way you want it, be who you are and ignore those that seek to ruin your happiness.

    

   • You are beautiful inside and out.
      

   • Strength is not measured by how much you can lift, but by how many times you got up when you were knocked down.
      

   • Bravery is looking your fear in the eye and saying, "I can do this, you have no power over me."

    

   • You can't live your whole life being what others want, you must create and mold what you want. So what are you waiting for? Go out and do it!  

   
   

 Most of these I have written myself and some I got from a former therapist of mine. You may use them if you wish to. 

Here's a few things that you can do with affirmations that I have seen help myself and others:

• Choose one that most fits the situation or feeling, fits as in is opposite of the feeling you have. For example: If you are depressed, you would probably choose something like  "It may be raining now, but the sun can't hide forever!" or "This too, shall pass." Now, take that affirmation and memorize. Make sure you have it down. If you can't memorize it, write it down and put it near your bedside and another someplace that you use all the time. Now, in the morning when you wake, and right before you go to sleep take that and say it 10x. When you start to feel stressed out with these feelings pull them out (during the day) and say it 10x. This will help get your mind back on track. Of course it won't cure depression, but it is a great coping skill that can help.
• Choose several that fit your situation like above and write them out on small index cards. Put them up in your bathroom on a mirror so that you can see it and read it. Put it on your fridge, in your purse, you can use it as a book mark. Put it places you see most often around your home and if you have a desk or your own locker at work, put it there. That way you are reading it often and it will eventually get stuck in your brain. It really helps.
• Or you could, memorize one you choose and say it to yourself whenever you need it.
• What's even cooler is-- you can make up your own! You don't have to use mine or anyone elses! You can make up your own, use your favorite quotes too! 
• You can use these any which way you want, these are only a few suggestions to start you out! 

Now that I have given you a few suggestions, try them out! It is said, the more you say or do something, you can change your mindset or how you live your life. 

I really hope you enjoyed this post! Till next time! 

~Ari the Ant

***DISCLAIMER-- THIS IS NOT WRITTEN AS A CURE ALL, IF YOU ARE SUICIDAL, DEPRESSED OR NOT IN A GOOD MINDSET I URGE YOU TO STILL CALL YOUR SUPPORT TEAM AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE, PLEASE CALL A HELP LINE. THIS IS ONLY A COPING SKILL I HAVE USED TO HELP COPE WITH THESE FEELINGS. 

When advocating is worth all the hard work...

I've been an advocate for several years, run several blogs (including this one) and multiple Facebook pages and have spoken up about what I advocate for. Usually, it's met with hate and name calling when I advocate-- don't worry I'm use to it. Today was different. As I was getting my blood drawn (those pesky CBCs!), I was telling the girl doing my blood test what I advocate for and telling her about my blogs and such. Her eyes lit up and she smiled "THANK YOU so much for speaking up! We need more people to do that! Please keep doing it!" And then gave me a hug. I shared my blogs with her (if she's reading this you're awesome!) and left. She probably has no clue how she made my day, that a simple word of encouragement made my crappy day the best. Thank you nurse! You really have no clue how enlightening it is to hear that people want me to keep doing it. 

Sometimes, Winnie-the-Pooh Can Remind You

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 

 This quote is something I just ran across while looking for another quote. I thought I would write on it because it hits close to home. 

Over the last year, I have had to learn some very hard life lessons on my own but hey, that's part of being an adult right? One of those hard life lessons is that I need to start going to people, that making friends or requesting help starts with me going to others about it. I need to stop waiting around for people to come to me because most likely, they are waiting for me to come to me. 

Although this can be very difficult for me, being Autistic and having issues making friends, I need to trying to find a way past that fear. It's not going to go anywhere but figuring out a way to go around it will help me in the long run. 

Another thing that I learned, was that sometimes it's not about making friends but about making the friendships you do have better than they were before. Hanging out more, talking more, making an already existing friendship stronger-- THAT can go a long way as well. My grandfather always told me that you can only count your true friends on one hand. I sometimes think that this is true. The true friends stick around when things get tough and don't run when you need them. I lost a lot of friends over the last year, but I gained some pretty amazing ones and saw the ones who are true to me. 

When life hands you lemons...

Sometimes, life doesn't turn out the way we plan. We have this idea, this vision, of what we want it to be like when we are younger. I wanted to be a special education teacher for the high assistance kids and go to my favorite university. Life, didn't happen the way I wanted it to. Two years into my schooling and I became ill and had to take a break from school only to learn that that sort of work is something that I will never be able to do again. It broke my heart, but after having a year off from school, and much time to think about it, I learned that just because I can't do what I wanted, it doesn't mean that I failed, it just means that I must find another avenue to pursue. I thought long and hard, where to go from there and realized... I love to write! I was already writing a novel, I could continue school to get a degree in creative writing! It wasn't my first choice, but it is something I am good at and it's something that I would love to pursue. 

When life hands you lemons, but they're not the lemons you hoped for, you can still make lemonade if you try hard enough. If you can't make lemonade the first time round, that doesn't mean you failed, you just have to try try again! You never know how delicious that lemonade will be if you don't continue to try! Don't give up, just because one dream is unable to come true for you at the moment, doesn't mean there is not other dreams you have that you can pursue. 

Life has its series of ups and downs, twists and turns, it's just a matter of how we view it and deal with it. If we view it negatively, we bring that to us. If we view it positively, we bring that to us. I could look at my physical issues as my downfall, that I am a failure to society, but instead I take what I am dealt and help others learn from what I go through. I help show them that life is worth living and that no matter what you go through, you can come out of it stronger than ever--- even if it doesn't seem like that now. 

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
― A.A. Milne

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. A. A. Milne
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/aamilne402613.html

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. A. A. Milne
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/aamilne402613.html

Be the Light

Today as I was scrolling through facebook, I noticed how often I see my friends and loved ones posting negative things about their life. I know that facebook is a place where people can vent without having to say it out loud. Media allows us to express ourselves in an (almost) safe environment. Hey, I am definitely not perfect and being disabled, and living a lone, I have at times resorted to venting on facebook. It's incredibly easy and I can get my feelings out right? But it's not just venting anymore, there's so much crime, hate, loss, death that sometimes it's too much to handle and one almost wants to curl up into a ball and wish it was a nightmare, just a dream and not reality. It's reality though, we can only do what we can with the world around us. It may seem hard, like we can't do it. We're only one person right? Wrong. We can make a difference, even one small ripple can completely change a person's day, life and thoughts. It can make them happy, or in the case of what's going on right now-- sad. We must be the beacon of light for people around us. Make them smile, show we care, be the positive light in the world that offsets so much negative. When someone vents on facebook, instead of attacking them or making fun of them, offer your assistance. Show you care. There's a reason (other than looking for attention) that a person vents. It could be that this person feels like they have no one around them to turn to. It could be that they are scared to say it out loud. There could be many reasons why and it's not our place to judge those who need to say it, who need to vent. Sometimes, they are looking for support. Help them, don't be a judge. Be there for them, you never know how much help you can be by just showing you care.

Hello and Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog! This blog is intended to be a blog where I write anything and about everything. I ask that all who follow please be respectful to eachother and to myself. Thank you!